*noooooooo* you lot, I _know_ Harry and Monique's father were lovers. What I mean is if her dad wrote Harry the letter, why were they in the car together? Wouldn't he have just told Harry in person? And if Harry was drinking because he was upset, as is implied, why would her dad have got in the car with a drunk man he's just broken up with? None of the drinking, driving, letters and being in the car *together* makes sense to me
I try to make sense of that part too! I'm trying to convince myself that Monique's father think just he can express himself better with words so he did that with a letter and watched Harry read it or sth like that. But why would he get on the car with him knowning he's drunk?? I tried hard to make sense of that and I failed but it didn't really matter anyway. Not every little detailI has to make sense. Llove this book despite how heatbroken it made me
I had the exact same thought when I came across that part. Evelyn found the letter in Harry's possession which was the reason why he was drinking? Monique's mom did mention her dad enjoyed writing letters. Perhaps, Harry had the letter with him, drank, picked James up, and they argued and crashed? Maybe he read the letter, drank, stormed away and James followed him to the car? This is all an assumption, though. Evelyn was supposed to pick Harry up and was in the area where he was staying. I feel like such a pivotal part should've been fleshed out more BUT, again, only Harry and James know what lead to that. Evelyn just knows what was available to her and we can say she made her own conclusions.
I think they'd been to dinner together, Monique's Dad gave Harry the letter, because maybe he felt like there would be a misunderstanding if he said it verbally (there are quite a few people who feel they communicate better in writing than verbally), Harry read the letter while Monique's Dad was in the loo (I dunno, I'm hypothesising here) and was upset, Monique's Dad came back, they both drank throughout the dinner, and then Harry offered to drive Monique's Dad home, one last goodbye etc. etc., and maybe they argued or Harry wasn't paying attention (bc he was drunk) and they crashed. That's the only logical way I can see it happening, in my brain it's the only way it works.
Evelyns love of her life was Celia, her soulmate was Harry I loved those 15 years where it was Evelyn, Celia, John and Harry and the Connor. And then when Evelyn said she went and ruined it...😭
i couldn’t give it a full 5 stars either, because i didn’t love monique’s chapters, i just wanted to hear about evelyn. the most i’ve cried at a book in ages (and i’m a HUGE book crier)
I agree, but I think this was the author's intent. Monique's character in the story was supposed to be cringey and awkward. I really enjoyed to some degree, the evolution of Monique's mindset after spending sometime with Evelyn and hearing about her life. I guess I have more of a personal understanding because I have come to learn some of the themes and principles that Monique picked up from hearing the story of Evelyn's life.
Monique didn’t take into account that just before finding out about her dad, she said “I think I might’ve done the same thing for someone I loved”. Sure she was clouded by emotion after finding out the truth but I feel like after putting some rational thought into it, she would have realized that it’s not exactly evelyn’s fault that that happened, she simply did something to protect her family and didn’t really have a personal obligation to protect the dead man she didn’t know. Maybe a moral obligation but we all know that’s very blurry for Evelyn. Not to mention that yes, she framed him as the drunk driver, but what would’ve been worse for them at the time would have been the reputation of being gay, especially with a wife and family at home and everyone still in the closet. I think it’s better for the father in that circumstance that he died as a “drunk driver” than with that secret exposed that he clearly wasn’t ready to share. And it might’ve hurt his family even more to discover a huge secret about him after his death, than to believe that it was a tragic mistake. I don’t know what it would feel like. But yeah there’s definitely a lot of layers to that situation that the book didn’t touch on
*”Stay with me, Harry. Stay with me. Stay true blue”* *’Go if it hurts, go if it’s time. Just go knowing you were loved, that I will never forget you’* *’Go knowing I love you purely, Harry.”* *”Go knowing I told you all my secrets, because you were my best friend”* *I SOBBED FOR SO LONG OMG*
Honestly I didn’t think the writing was as bad as people are saying it is. I think the whole point of making moniques POV bad was just to keep the attraction on Evelyn. It’s a great book, the story is very deep. I didn’t cry at all, but it’s a great book. I wasn’t very impressed with the ending I wanted I to be more conclusive or just have more meaning idk.
A finished it about 3 hours ago and I'm an emotional wreck. I've been on and off crying since then. I read it in about 3 days and now I have no idea what to do. It was such a good read!
I stopped at the page were Harry died bc I cried so much and I put the book down and I haven’t read it since bc ik dam well ima cry when celia dies too. It hurt soo much bc Harry and evelyn were soo pure to each other it actually hurts😭💔
In regards to harry x evelyn and celia x evelyn relationship, the main difference between the two is that, harry and evelyn saw each other equals, each not regarding the other as above or below his or herself. Harry and Evelyn love regardless of whether or not the other can give, they found home in each other’s lives. On the contrary, Celia and Evelyn are the best and worst of lovers, they never see each other eye to eye, and with Celia’s it’s either all or nothing and it almost feels like their love was consuming, draining but fulfilling at the same time, it was never in between, it was always at the two opposite ends of the spectrum.
I too am guilty of tears related to this book. Evelyn's POV chapters were beautiful, but Celia went to my nerves more than I care to admit. She was entitled, she constantly denied part(s) of Evelyn's identity, specifically her bisexuality, and kept throwing tantrums when Evelyn as much as looked at other people. She was jealous of Harry - a gay man - on their wedding day fully knowing she was part of the reason their marriage happened. Evelyn is no stranger to toxic behaviour and grabbing at whatever she can to pursue her means but at least she's honest about it. Still, the need to empathize with Celia is meaningless to me and I never found myself doing it. Other than that, I am proud there's bisexual representation in mainstream media and that people are unable to take it away from the story (a.k.a ignore it) without the story becoming senseless.
Evelyn consistently chose men and appearances over Celia. It’s no wonder Celia was paranoid about Evelyn and the men in her life. All Evelyn did was put Celia through homophobic trauma. She even threw the fact that she could easily live a “normal life” in Celia’s face.
I think Celia's fears of Evelyn "being taken away from her" by all these men and glamour is very much valid. There are multiple accounts of when such things happened; it may not be THAT WAY (esp. we're reading from Evelyn's POV), but as a wlw and exclusively dating the elusive Hollywood bombshell made Celia slightly irrational (especially in ultimately concluding that Evelyn maybe doesn't want their relationship/her). Then again! If we put ourselves in her shoes and in their era, we'd understand and empathize better with both women. A privy relationship is, after all, less messier (in theory) and, in line, this will be a lot easier for the "less invested" person to deal with. I can see where Celia's constant worries came from...after all, it's the classic secret love story between queer people.
I mostly agree, however by the time Celia and Evelyn reconnected for good, Celia had grown a lot. At one point she refers to Evelyn as a lesbian and she corrects herself. She's incredibly supportive of Evelyn when Harry dies, and doesn't push her to move to Europe until she's ready. She's a good stepmom to Connor. The final time they came back together, it felt right.
Celia was jealous of Harry marrying Evelyn not because she felt threatened by Harry, but because he was getting to do the one thing she couldn't: marry Evelyn in broad daylight. Celia only ever got Evelyn in the shadows because Evelyn was too scared to tell the world about them.
Celia st James Definitely was the love of her life but I believe both of them were very different individuals and had their own journey of coming to fame. Evelyn had to fight with her fate to get where she wanted to but Celia was privileged while she had her family to go back to , Evelyn did not. So many of the complications in their relationship arises from this difference in background and mentality
I RAN to RUclips to find someone who would talk about this book with me with the spoilers and this DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Although I will say I was not as distracted by the car crash, in fact I gasped since I’d been waiting the entire book for how Evelyn betrayed Monique and this seemed to somehow immediately fit the bill. Not sure how, maybe writer’s intuition?? Either way, spot on analysis of the book’s portrayal of the different types of love, which has me questioning my own search for deep and fulfilling love. While this book did kill me because I LOATHE reading about near miss/delayed loves like Evelyn and Celia’s (doesn’t this make young women nervous about passing up every unrequited/confusing love they’ve ever had?) I completely agree about appreciating the bi representation. I’ve never been fully accepting of myself as a bi woman because a) I’m young and inexperienced and b) my attraction to women has always felt so different than that to men that I almost feel the need to compare it to see what the overlap is, and if there is that perfect partner that has the same qualities regardless of gender. But Evelyn’s love for the brazen Don Adler (pre-abuse) to her love of Harry whom she doesn’t love sexually to her love of Celia who is youthful and soft and lovely and described as the antithesis of Don, truly helped me feel assuaged that yes, it is normal to be attracted to men and women for different reasons, or at minimum to different people for different reasons regardless of gender. I truly appreciated this lovely video after binge reading the book and am now a loyal follower eagerly awaiting my next comparative read. Also, I can’t help but type with a bit of a British accent after listening to you talk for the better part of 45 minutes (I had to pause to respond out loud), so thanks for helping me live out my Pride and Prejudice language fantasies for a moment. If the book couldn’t receive five stars from either of us, this video received five stars from me simply for the insight and helping me feel comforted as I came down from the Evelyn Hugo high. xx
Such a late reply, but YES. I felt the exact same way about the different aspects of what love looks like in relationships. I also 100% agree with the bi comments. I feel like you put my thoughts into words perfectly. I was kind of shocked that this book made me realize different things/gave me a different perspective on all of this.
I never thought about that plot hole!! Obviously Harry and Monique’s father had been partners, but then Evelyn said the reason Harry had been drinking was because of the note Monique’s father had given him which was in his pocket. So, why was Monique’s father still in the car at that point and where were they driving?
I just finished the book and I don’t remember her saying the note was the reason he’d been drinking. I assumed Monique’s father was going to give him the note later that night.
I only liked Evelyn & Harry (and Connor I guess). Everyone else pissed me off. Celia was a bitch. Monique was boring. I genuinely felt sad when Harry died he was so amazing and was probably the best person in Evelyn’s life.
I believe Monique’s character was written that way intentionally. It added to the idea that she wasn’t necessarily deserving of the job in her current form. She was discovering her power through the process.
i think monique had her good moments like when she broke up with her husband but she was so weird the way they write monique is lazy just going through the same conflict and they also don’t write race properly which is very noticeable with monique
omg yes i’m happy/sad that someone agrees that harry’s death was way worse i was sobbing the whole way through his death and anything to do with him being dead i had to call my friend and i could barely talk but with celia i’m sad to say but i didn’t cry a bit i mean it wasn’t cause i was out of tears cause i crying again with her daughters death.
26:42 there was a point early on in the book (within the first 50 pages) that i knew that something had something to do with moniques dad. like you know when you're reading and its like " okay that's definitely coming back around later". i wish that it was more discrete so that i wouldnt be able to guess that!
I totally enjoyed and understand your discussion on love and is the love with Harry the more real love. I would have to disagree with some of your points though as we can love someone as a companion that will be your best friend and always support and be there for you. However, what happens when we then fall in love with someone we are attracted to? I think that's the catch. Love without falling is more of a companionship, that doesn't account for sexual attraction. Ideally I think what everyone wants is to have both in a partner, but of course this is the hardest to find. I think this was also the point about Cecilia and Evelyn's type of love (though it had more difficulties).
i agree that part of celias motivation was to "own celias body & appeal" but i personally think it was more the fact that she simply didnt want to hide. i know from a lot of people who dont want to stay in a closeted relationship because they spent so many years in self hate and denial that they cannot handle it if they're parter isnt ready to be public because it puts them back into that space
I assumed Monique’s dad gave him the letter before dinner, thinking the night would end there. Maybe Harry go the letter at his house before going out to dinner. But Harry went to Monique’s dad and convinced him to still go get dinner and have one last goodbye together. I thought the writing implied that they were both heavily drinking away their sorrows.
I only really liked harry and evelyn. Harry and Evelyn deserved to live their happy platonic life with conner in a small town. I had to put the book down when harry died though
ahhh your analysis is so insightful and and i agree with so many of your points! it's like you read my mind. especially about the many, *many* types of love and the "coupled up beards" - also a new favorite trope of mine because of this book. wish i could present ideas as articulately as you. thank you for sharing your thoughts and thank you youtube algorithm for recommending your channel 😭
it's funny because this is one of my favorite books yet i 100% understand almost every complaint you have with it, especially about the writing. i've read two TJR books so far and my main gripe is her lack of subtlety. the social commentary is almost always heavy-handed (cringey at worst) BUT she's so annoyingly readable and writes leading characters and their nuanced dynamics so well. that being said, i have to hard disagree about evelyn and celia. i loved them and their chaos (and thankfully, eventual peace)
love the review!! on the plot twists, i think her relationship with celia wasn't much of a plot twist, maybe it's because i'm bi too, but i thought they were literally like name-dropping celia's name at the beginning and throwing SO MANY references to LGBTQ+. also, agree very much that the harry/monique's dad was predictable, when i was reading that scene i was like 99% sure the other guy was monique's father. My two cents on the book, I think Monique character could have been more interesting also, her "voice" was a little bit boring - sometimes i was like "can we get back to evelyn please". and on celia/evelyn relationship - I was too not as invested as i thought i would be (i did love it tho), i think it's because we see her relationship with harry blossom while her and celia we are through each of her husbands, i wanted more insight on their "build up", they becoming close and etc. the book for me left a taste of wanting to know more about them, maybe i wanted a celia chapter? i don't know... or that could have been on purpose, so that we feel how evelyn felt (not having enjoyed much of their time)
To expand on your point on the publishers doing a shit job on the blurb- I listened to the book and I didn’t read the blurb so I feel when the blurb mentioned Monique’s life being “tragically entwined’ that was even a pretty big spoiler, insinuating she was chosen to write it because of a “tragedy”. Obviously we’re wondering why Monique was chosen from the start but I feel the blurb gives too much away
I thought the writing (on Evelyns chapters) was well suited to its purpose. It was written as a spoken story by Evelyn, and I felt the writing suited her character. She was practical in her methods, and valued results more than flounce and filigree. This was shown in the direct approach of the writing
I started reading it and stopped after I got too frustrated with bad writing. Yeah, it’s annoyingly bad. But the story did seem good, I felt it would be a great movie. So now I might try again.
Thank you Emma for this beautiful review. I would love to know more about the different types of love according to ancient Greeks. Is there a book or article or whatever you would recommend for that?
The half of it. Although it's a film it has pretty much has the Greek type, with romantic, platonic, familial and self love that are really explored with its nuances
I love the way you think and connect your references with your own values and experiences. The tone of your voice it's so soothing... I'd listen to your voice for hours on enddd (!!!) also you're gorgeous, it's insaaaane
Yeah Monique was very unlikeable to the point where at the end, even though Evelyn had done something horrible to her father and family (kinda) I still just wanted to punch Monique in the face.
I agree re. Monique. There wasn't enough there for me to like her or care about her divorce. I didn't even feel bad about the twist (maybe because you can see it a mile away so you have time to process it before it's confirmed.)
I generally thought this book was so similar to my life, I had an amazing relationship with a woman when I was 24 but I ended it because of my own biases and misconceptions . I always thought that love between two women was a childish thing that you grow up from, for me something like that never works and women who thought it did were foolish. I met an amazing man when I was 26 and been with him for 5 years, married for 2 . I thought I wanted a fairytale but it didn't turn out that way we have an open marriage, I have had 6 other partners in the last 4 years so my conception about how love is supposed to be just went out the window because it never effected our relationship about a year ago my girlfriend from 7 years ago came back into my life and we rekindled our relationship.
Maybe James wanted to give the letter to Harry but he wasn't able to do it bc he was drunk or for any other reason. And that's why they were on the car together. Maybe Harry insisted to drive or something like that. Idk
I read this when it came out because another booktuber suggested it and I was intriggied. Also, that is the still popular misconsption that bisexuals can't comment to someone. As a follow bi woman, I don't like that stereotype. I can comment to whom ever I'm with.
I thought when Monique was having the conversation with her mom about her and her dads relationship in the end, that based on her answer if she was in Evelyn’s position she may have done the same thing. She had the same relationship with him that Evelyn had with Harry 😢
Okay so I personally don’t agree with the stuff about Monique. I enjoyed watching her gain some confidence through the book. I think she was an equally complex character to the others and the writing was decently good in my opinion, at least never bad enough to be distracting or off putting. The only thing I found sometimes off putting was the structure of Evelyn chapters to Monique chapters (I just wish there was a more clear indication of the transition). Though obviously Evelyn was the star of the book. This could be because I just finished the book though and I’m freshly in the feelings. Plus as someone who’s done journalism myself I always connect to journalist characters. I absolutely love the way you break down Evelyn’s relationships and the different types of love.
mmmm I read this a year ago and I am due for a reread. in fact does anyone here have any recommendations for books that are similar in terms of queerness and period drama glamour and slightly trashy and gripping to read?
I want a Harry/Evelyn type of love . His death and the daughters death I couldn’t handle . His was so unexpected I was screaming nooooooo the whole time . They were true besties / soulmates who made a child together and that’s rare and beautiful.
Ahhh I'm so glad you liked Evelyn Hugo! I love TJR's work so much, and Daisy Jones & the Six by her is probably one of my top three favorite books of all time. You should check out the author's newest book, Malibu Rising, which just released a few days ago :) Also, since you said you liked our recommendations lol, you might like The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake!! (another dark academia)
Monique's parts were really boring and seemed out of place. Especially the parts about David, I don't really know what it added to the story. I was confused as to why the author even included it. I feel like those parts were also kinda used to add those woke political statements which rly contradicted Evelyn's attitude towards those issues. But of course I thought once it all came together with the story of her dad I thought it added a lot to the book. I also kinda didn't like Connor. Like not her character but the fact that Evelyn decided to have a baby. It didn't even seem like Celia was a part of her life? And I didn't really like the way Evelyn treated her growing up. There were times when I hated Evelyn and times that I hated Celia, but I cried so much at the end of the book and now I don't know what to think. Also, as a straight person reading this, I did not predict any of the characters' sexualities until it was stated plainly. But I thought it was really cool to learn about the bi/gay experience throughout the decades. I also didn't see the thing about Monique's dad coming at all. I guess I just didn't predict that Monique's family would ever cross paths with these Hollywood superstars.
I didn't cry for this book but definitely hurt my heart when Harry died.. idk why but Celia's death didn't effect me as much and idk I LOVED this book and all the characters but Celia wasn't the most favorite
i read shoeh (my own little acronym i made up lol) in 1 hour. and i still remember every little thing and I sobbed so hard omg my dad asked what was wrong.
I wasn’t too fond of Monique’s chapters either but I just think that they are supposed to emblematise how impactful Evelyn is and how she influences and enfranchises those around her
I absolutely loved this book review. You very much put my thoughts into words here. Exactly what I needed after finishing this book yesterday. I agree with a lot of your points (for example Moniques character and the bad writing in her chapters - I almost felt like Evelyn's parts were written by a different Author than Monique's). The depth with which you explained how you see the story and the way you graphically showed the different kinds of love represented in this book were absolutely spot on. Evelyn's relationspips were so complicated and yet you managed to narrow each one of them down to what they esentially were without ignoring their complexity. Also totally loved the representation of bisexuality in his book, as I myself identify as bi. I am still 16 have yet to fully understand that part of me, and what you said about that "it is not beeing 50/50 anything, or 60/40 anything, or 70/30 anything but rather 100% a whole identity in and of itself", that actaully really helped. Also, its really pleasant to listen to you, you have a great voice and the way you talk is just very enjoyable. Franky, this is one of the best book reviews i've ever watched and it is greatly appreciated. Ps.: I subscribed to your channel and look forward to more videos like this one xx
I thought this book was terrible. Sickly sweet corny writing, predictable stupid twist, terrible unfeasible ending and dont even get me started on the tokenism of mixed-race people and the lack of any meaningful exploration of evelyn's cuban background. I could 100% tell it was written by a straight white woman with little understanding of the nuances of being non-white or in a gay relationship in the time period she was writing about. the constant explanations of bisexuality were so cringey and forced. the relationship with celia was also unconvincing to me, mainly because celia's character lacked depth (so did nearly every character who wasn't evelyn tbh), and it seemed like every time celia and evelyn interacted in the book was to fight. it was definitely a quick easy read and i can imagine it being a fun trashy movie but it totally does not deserve the ratings it has. (Apart from Harry, I liked him! also Moniques dad was in the car because he was having an affair with Harry lol I thought that was clear!!)
Oh thank god someone else thought this book was terrible. I felt so alone! I've now read three of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books and can attest that the writing is the same no matter the subject. I found every book to be cringey and shallow. I have officially broken up with her books. Never again will I be sucked in by the hype.
There are so many great insights put here! Thank you for your effort and time! I love it when readers also point out the flaws of a seemingly perfect book, and your review is the first I've seen to do this with this book! It doesn't hurt that your voice is very soothing so the 30-minute watch is worth it hahaha. Just sounded like your voice is muffled on some parts and had to concentrate extra hard for me to listen. I hope to see more book reviews from you! --- from a sandwich millennial & gen z skksksskskksksksksk
I am an evelyn stan…I feel like Celia is one too lmao. I barely read books but I wanted a lesbian like book and woooooo yes. I am obsessed and I want MORE of evelyn and Celia 💜👩🏽❤️💋👩🏼
I just started reading this like 45 minutes ago! Not gonna watch this video now because it has spoilers haha! I also bought Les Liaisons Dangereuses because of you! I’m extremely excited to read it! :)
Hello fellow dyslexic Emma 🤣. Major major spoiler alert be careful if you read this. Monique‘s dad was in the car with Harry because he was Harry’s lover and teaching Harry to love again.
*noooooooo* you lot, I _know_ Harry and Monique's father were lovers. What I mean is if her dad wrote Harry the letter, why were they in the car together? Wouldn't he have just told Harry in person? And if Harry was drinking because he was upset, as is implied, why would her dad have got in the car with a drunk man he's just broken up with? None of the drinking, driving, letters and being in the car *together* makes sense to me
I try to make sense of that part too! I'm trying to convince myself that Monique's father think just he can express himself better with words so he did that with a letter and watched Harry read it or sth like that. But why would he get on the car with him knowning he's drunk?? I tried hard to make sense of that and I failed but it didn't really matter anyway. Not every little detailI has to make sense. Llove this book despite how heatbroken it made me
I had the exact same thought when I came across that part. Evelyn found the letter in Harry's possession which was the reason why he was drinking? Monique's mom did mention her dad enjoyed writing letters. Perhaps, Harry had the letter with him, drank, picked James up, and they argued and crashed? Maybe he read the letter, drank, stormed away and James followed him to the car? This is all an assumption, though. Evelyn was supposed to pick Harry up and was in the area where he was staying. I feel like such a pivotal part should've been fleshed out more BUT, again, only Harry and James know what lead to that. Evelyn just knows what was available to her and we can say she made her own conclusions.
i read in one sitting whoops😪
I think they'd been to dinner together, Monique's Dad gave Harry the letter, because maybe he felt like there would be a misunderstanding if he said it verbally (there are quite a few people who feel they communicate better in writing than verbally), Harry read the letter while Monique's Dad was in the loo (I dunno, I'm hypothesising here) and was upset, Monique's Dad came back, they both drank throughout the dinner, and then Harry offered to drive Monique's Dad home, one last goodbye etc. etc., and maybe they argued or Harry wasn't paying attention (bc he was drunk) and they crashed. That's the only logical way I can see it happening, in my brain it's the only way it works.
true
celia is the love of evelyns life, but harry is evelyns soulmate
THIS. so so true. harry is everything to me i genuinely felt part of my heart just shrivel up and die when he did. i could not handle it.
Yesssss. I love her and Harry’s love story. Even though it isn’t romantic love, it is such a beautiful love story
very well put ! this is exactly im tryna tell my friends.
Yes. He’s the only constant thing in her life tbh
Harry is her platonic soulmate
Evelyns love of her life was Celia, her soulmate was Harry
I loved those 15 years where it was Evelyn, Celia, John and Harry and the Connor. And then when Evelyn said she went and ruined it...😭
Let me tell you, I had hope but Evelyn being herself she ruined it❤
i couldn’t give it a full 5 stars either, because i didn’t love monique’s chapters, i just wanted to hear about evelyn. the most i’ve cried at a book in ages (and i’m a HUGE book crier)
I AGREEE! I was so cringed out by the writing, anytime it wasn’t Evelyn’s pov
I agree, but I think this was the author's intent. Monique's character in the story was supposed to be cringey and awkward. I really enjoyed to some degree, the evolution of Monique's mindset after spending sometime with Evelyn and hearing about her life. I guess I have more of a personal understanding because I have come to learn some of the themes and principles that Monique picked up from hearing the story of Evelyn's life.
Harry’s part broke me. Their relationship was so beautiful. They were truly soulmates.
Monique didn’t take into account that just before finding out about her dad, she said “I think I might’ve done the same thing for someone I loved”. Sure she was clouded by emotion after finding out the truth but I feel like after putting some rational thought into it, she would have realized that it’s not exactly evelyn’s fault that that happened, she simply did something to protect her family and didn’t really have a personal obligation to protect the dead man she didn’t know. Maybe a moral obligation but we all know that’s very blurry for Evelyn. Not to mention that yes, she framed him as the drunk driver, but what would’ve been worse for them at the time would have been the reputation of being gay, especially with a wife and family at home and everyone still in the closet. I think it’s better for the father in that circumstance that he died as a “drunk driver” than with that secret exposed that he clearly wasn’t ready to share. And it might’ve hurt his family even more to discover a huge secret about him after his death, than to believe that it was a tragic mistake. I don’t know what it would feel like. But yeah there’s definitely a lot of layers to that situation that the book didn’t touch on
*”Stay with me, Harry. Stay with me. Stay true blue”*
*’Go if it hurts, go if it’s time. Just go knowing you were loved, that I will never forget you’*
*’Go knowing I love you purely, Harry.”*
*”Go knowing I told you all my secrets, because you were my best friend”*
*I SOBBED FOR SO LONG OMG*
Honestly I didn’t think the writing was as bad as people are saying it is. I think the whole point of making moniques POV bad was just to keep the attraction on Evelyn. It’s a great book, the story is very deep. I didn’t cry at all, but it’s a great book. I wasn’t very impressed with the ending I wanted I to be more conclusive or just have more meaning idk.
i was sobbing when i finished this book, haven't recovered yet 😭
A finished it about 3 hours ago and I'm an emotional wreck. I've been on and off crying since then. I read it in about 3 days and now I have no idea what to do. It was such a good read!
@@izzypaige07 this is me right now ;u; it really is though! despite all the pain and tears, it was definitely worth it.
I stopped at the page were Harry died bc I cried so much and I put the book down and I haven’t read it since bc ik dam well ima cry when celia dies too. It hurt soo much bc Harry and evelyn were soo pure to each other it actually hurts😭💔
In regards to harry x evelyn and celia x evelyn relationship, the main difference between the two is that, harry and evelyn saw each other equals, each not regarding the other as above or below his or herself. Harry and Evelyn love regardless of whether or not the other can give, they found home in each other’s lives. On the contrary, Celia and Evelyn are the best and worst of lovers, they never see each other eye to eye, and with Celia’s it’s either all or nothing and it almost feels like their love was consuming, draining but fulfilling at the same time, it was never in between, it was always at the two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Loving her was reeeeeeeed
deadass most wlw relationships. this dynamic between two women feels inevitable (a woman shattered me! i am not homophobic)
I too am guilty of tears related to this book. Evelyn's POV chapters were beautiful, but Celia went to my nerves more than I care to admit. She was entitled, she constantly denied part(s) of Evelyn's identity, specifically her bisexuality, and kept throwing tantrums when Evelyn as much as looked at other people. She was jealous of Harry - a gay man - on their wedding day fully knowing she was part of the reason their marriage happened.
Evelyn is no stranger to toxic behaviour and grabbing at whatever she can to pursue her means but at least she's honest about it. Still, the need to empathize with Celia is meaningless to me and I never found myself doing it. Other than that, I am proud there's bisexual representation in mainstream media and that people are unable to take it away from the story (a.k.a ignore it) without the story becoming senseless.
Evelyn consistently chose men and appearances over Celia. It’s no wonder Celia was paranoid about Evelyn and the men in her life. All Evelyn did was put Celia through homophobic trauma. She even threw the fact that she could easily live a “normal life” in Celia’s face.
I think Celia's fears of Evelyn "being taken away from her" by all these men and glamour is very much valid. There are multiple accounts of when such things happened; it may not be THAT WAY (esp. we're reading from Evelyn's POV), but as a wlw and exclusively dating the elusive Hollywood bombshell made Celia slightly irrational (especially in ultimately concluding that Evelyn maybe doesn't want their relationship/her). Then again! If we put ourselves in her shoes and in their era, we'd understand and empathize better with both women. A privy relationship is, after all, less messier (in theory) and, in line, this will be a lot easier for the "less invested" person to deal with. I can see where Celia's constant worries came from...after all, it's the classic secret love story between queer people.
I feel like Celia had BPD or something
I mostly agree, however by the time Celia and Evelyn reconnected for good, Celia had grown a lot. At one point she refers to Evelyn as a lesbian and she corrects herself. She's incredibly supportive of Evelyn when Harry dies, and doesn't push her to move to Europe until she's ready. She's a good stepmom to Connor. The final time they came back together, it felt right.
Celia was jealous of Harry marrying Evelyn not because she felt threatened by Harry, but because he was getting to do the one thing she couldn't: marry Evelyn in broad daylight. Celia only ever got Evelyn in the shadows because Evelyn was too scared to tell the world about them.
Celia st James Definitely was the love of her life but I believe both of them were very different individuals and had their own journey of coming to fame. Evelyn had to fight with her fate to get where she wanted to but Celia was privileged while she had her family to go back to , Evelyn did not. So many of the complications in their relationship arises from this difference in background and mentality
Good point!
Monique’s father was in the car because he was having an affair with Harry, which is why it’s doubly harsh for Monique
Same for me. Harry & Evelyn's connection are just so pure. Definition of an unconditional love, for me. ❤
I RAN to RUclips to find someone who would talk about this book with me with the spoilers and this DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Although I will say I was not as distracted by the car crash, in fact I gasped since I’d been waiting the entire book for how Evelyn betrayed Monique and this seemed to somehow immediately fit the bill. Not sure how, maybe writer’s intuition?? Either way, spot on analysis of the book’s portrayal of the different types of love, which has me questioning my own search for deep and fulfilling love. While this book did kill me because I LOATHE reading about near miss/delayed loves like Evelyn and Celia’s (doesn’t this make young women nervous about passing up every unrequited/confusing love they’ve ever had?) I completely agree about appreciating the bi representation. I’ve never been fully accepting of myself as a bi woman because a) I’m young and inexperienced and b) my attraction to women has always felt so different than that to men that I almost feel the need to compare it to see what the overlap is, and if there is that perfect partner that has the same qualities regardless of gender. But Evelyn’s love for the brazen Don Adler (pre-abuse) to her love of Harry whom she doesn’t love sexually to her love of Celia who is youthful and soft and lovely and described as the antithesis of Don, truly helped me feel assuaged that yes, it is normal to be attracted to men and women for different reasons, or at minimum to different people for different reasons regardless of gender. I truly appreciated this lovely video after binge reading the book and am now a loyal follower eagerly awaiting my next comparative read. Also, I can’t help but type with a bit of a British accent after listening to you talk for the better part of 45 minutes (I had to pause to respond out loud), so thanks for helping me live out my Pride and Prejudice language fantasies for a moment. If the book couldn’t receive five stars from either of us, this video received five stars from me simply for the insight and helping me feel comforted as I came down from the Evelyn Hugo high. xx
Such a late reply, but YES. I felt the exact same way about the different aspects of what love looks like in relationships. I also 100% agree with the bi comments. I feel like you put my thoughts into words perfectly. I was kind of shocked that this book made me realize different things/gave me a different perspective on all of this.
I never thought about that plot hole!! Obviously Harry and Monique’s father had been partners, but then Evelyn said the reason Harry had been drinking was because of the note Monique’s father had given him which was in his pocket. So, why was Monique’s father still in the car at that point and where were they driving?
EXACTLY. it really bothers me, i have a lot of questions for her editor
I just finished the book and I don’t remember her saying the note was the reason he’d been drinking. I assumed Monique’s father was going to give him the note later that night.
@@ComplexHormones I just finished it too and I remember that. That’s why the letter is in Harry’s pocket, he’d read it and got drunk
@@katitax508 I was also sobbing while reading the last ~50 pages. Explains why I didn’t remember 😂
@@ComplexHormones Hahaha, I get that! I had to stay up and finish it, so it had me crying at 1AM
I only liked Evelyn & Harry (and Connor I guess). Everyone else pissed me off. Celia was a bitch. Monique was boring. I genuinely felt sad when Harry died he was so amazing and was probably the best person in Evelyn’s life.
Can we talk a moment to appreciate that SHE READ THO SHE IS DYSLEXIC???? mad respect
I believe Monique’s character was written that way intentionally. It added to the idea that she wasn’t necessarily deserving of the job in her current form. She was discovering her power through the process.
Good point!
i think monique had her good moments like when she broke up with her husband but she was so weird the way they write monique is lazy just going through the same conflict and they also don’t write race properly which is very noticeable with monique
What do you mean they don't write race properly?
I completed the book in one sitting and I cried like anything
Once Celia was introduced in Evelyn's story I knew they would be together. 'from then on I liked Celia more and more'
They confirmed that there will be a show or film I don't quite remember 😍😍😍
My favorite book I've ever read!
Just finished reading it yesterday..
I have never been that obsessed with a book🥺🥺❤
omg yes i’m happy/sad that someone agrees that harry’s death was way worse i was sobbing the whole way through his death and anything to do with him being dead i had to call my friend and i could barely talk but with celia i’m sad to say but i didn’t cry a bit i mean it wasn’t cause i was out of tears cause i crying again with her daughters death.
26:42
there was a point early on in the book (within the first 50 pages) that i knew that something had something to do with moniques dad. like you know when you're reading and its like " okay that's definitely coming back around later". i wish that it was more discrete so that i wouldnt be able to guess that!
I've just finished reading it after five days and I did start tearing up at the end ;__; aaah i love this book sm
I totally enjoyed and understand your discussion on love and is the love with Harry the more real love. I would have to disagree with some of your points though as we can love someone as a companion that will be your best friend and always support and be there for you. However, what happens when we then fall in love with someone we are attracted to? I think that's the catch. Love without falling is more of a companionship, that doesn't account for sexual attraction. Ideally I think what everyone wants is to have both in a partner, but of course this is the hardest to find. I think this was also the point about Cecilia and Evelyn's type of love (though it had more difficulties).
I no joke read it in 10 hours and ended sobbing at 3:15 AM
Same
when you started tearing up🥺 i’m with you girl
i agree that part of celias motivation was to "own celias body & appeal" but i personally think it was more the fact that she simply didnt want to hide. i know from a lot of people who dont want to stay in a closeted relationship because they spent so many years in self hate and denial that they cannot handle it if they're parter isnt ready to be public because it puts them back into that space
I assumed Monique’s dad gave him the letter before dinner, thinking the night would end there. Maybe Harry go the letter at his house before going out to dinner. But Harry went to Monique’s dad and convinced him to still go get dinner and have one last goodbye together. I thought the writing implied that they were both heavily drinking away their sorrows.
I only really liked harry and evelyn. Harry and Evelyn deserved to live their happy platonic life with conner in a small town. I had to put the book down when harry died though
ahhh your analysis is so insightful and and i agree with so many of your points! it's like you read my mind. especially about the many, *many* types of love and the "coupled up beards" - also a new favorite trope of mine because of this book. wish i could present ideas as articulately as you. thank you for sharing your thoughts and thank you youtube algorithm for recommending your channel 😭
it's funny because this is one of my favorite books yet i 100% understand almost every complaint you have with it, especially about the writing. i've read two TJR books so far and my main gripe is her lack of subtlety. the social commentary is almost always heavy-handed (cringey at worst) BUT she's so annoyingly readable and writes leading characters and their nuanced dynamics so well. that being said, i have to hard disagree about evelyn and celia. i loved them and their chaos (and thankfully, eventual peace)
love the review!! on the plot twists, i think her relationship with celia wasn't much of a plot twist, maybe it's because i'm bi too, but i thought they were literally like name-dropping celia's name at the beginning and throwing SO MANY references to LGBTQ+.
also, agree very much that the harry/monique's dad was predictable, when i was reading that scene i was like 99% sure the other guy was monique's father.
My two cents on the book, I think Monique character could have been more interesting also, her "voice" was a little bit boring - sometimes i was like "can we get back to evelyn please". and on celia/evelyn relationship - I was too not as invested as i thought i would be (i did love it tho), i think it's because we see her relationship with harry blossom while her and celia we are through each of her husbands, i wanted more insight on their "build up", they becoming close and etc. the book for me left a taste of wanting to know more about them, maybe i wanted a celia chapter? i don't know... or that could have been on purpose, so that we feel how evelyn felt (not having enjoyed much of their time)
To expand on your point on the publishers doing a shit job on the blurb- I listened to the book and I didn’t read the blurb so I feel when the blurb mentioned Monique’s life being “tragically entwined’ that was even a pretty big spoiler, insinuating she was chosen to write it because of a “tragedy”. Obviously we’re wondering why Monique was chosen from the start but I feel the blurb gives too much away
SAME
I thought the writing (on Evelyns chapters) was well suited to its purpose. It was written as a spoken story by Evelyn, and I felt the writing suited her character. She was practical in her methods, and valued results more than flounce and filigree. This was shown in the direct approach of the writing
i read this in one sitting it took 5 hours, i love it so much one of my favorite books
man i loved monique, idk i relate to her and her pov was also interesting to me
If the love with Harry is sustained and stable, do you think the absence of highs and lows is a different feel, different risks and benefits.
I started reading it and stopped after I got too frustrated with bad writing. Yeah, it’s annoyingly bad. But the story did seem good, I felt it would be a great movie. So now I might try again.
Totally agree. It's definitely the worst book I read last year, the writing is absolutely woeful, and the characters are so one sided.
Thank you Emma for this beautiful review. I would love to know more about the different types of love according to ancient Greeks. Is there a book or article or whatever you would recommend for that?
I'm so glad I found you on RUclips. You are so articulate and relatable. ❤❤
Am I the only one who didn't catch that it was Monique's dad when she said the man was James Grant? Like, I genuinely forgot her name xD
I read it straight for 11 hours! Couldn't put it down!!
Dr Emma gave a talk on love.
What do I learn?
Need to read more Greek classics.
Do you recommend any books about the Greek types of love?
The half of it. Although it's a film it has pretty much has the Greek type, with romantic, platonic, familial and self love that are really explored with its nuances
i just got done reading it and i LOVED IT way to much than i need to
I love the way you think and connect your references with your own values and experiences. The tone of your voice it's so soothing... I'd listen to your voice for hours on enddd (!!!)
also you're gorgeous, it's insaaaane
Yeah Monique was very unlikeable to the point where at the end, even though Evelyn had done something horrible to her father and family (kinda) I still just wanted to punch Monique in the face.
I found her to not be the most open minded character. She constantly erases Evelyn’s identity and tires to change her to fit her perspective.
I agree re. Monique. There wasn't enough there for me to like her or care about her divorce. I didn't even feel bad about the twist (maybe because you can see it a mile away so you have time to process it before it's confirmed.)
I generally thought this book was so similar to my life, I had an amazing relationship with a woman when I was 24 but I ended it because of my own biases and misconceptions . I always thought that love between two women was a childish thing that you grow up from, for me something like that never works and women who thought it did were foolish. I met an amazing man when I was 26 and been with him for 5 years, married for 2 . I thought I wanted a fairytale but it didn't turn out that way we have an open marriage, I have had 6 other partners in the last 4 years so my conception about how love is supposed to be just went out the window because it never effected our relationship about a year ago my girlfriend from 7 years ago came back into my life and we rekindled our relationship.
SPOILERS:
The death of Evelyn's daughter hit me hard. I also have an only child that i had in my mid 30's. Evelyn was a good mother.
Maybe James wanted to give the letter to Harry but he wasn't able to do it bc he was drunk or for any other reason. And that's why they were on the car together. Maybe Harry insisted to drive or something like that. Idk
I read this when it came out because another booktuber suggested it and I was intriggied. Also, that is the still popular misconsption that bisexuals can't comment to someone. As a follow bi woman, I don't like that stereotype. I can comment to whom ever I'm with.
I’m so glad you like Harry more than Celia! Completely agreed on that 🥳
I thought when Monique was having the conversation with her mom about her and her dads relationship in the end, that based on her answer if she was in Evelyn’s position she may have done the same thing. She had the same relationship with him that Evelyn had with Harry 😢
AGHHH I been waiting for this one!!
Okay so I personally don’t agree with the stuff about Monique. I enjoyed watching her gain some confidence through the book. I think she was an equally complex character to the others and the writing was decently good in my opinion, at least never bad enough to be distracting or off putting. The only thing I found sometimes off putting was the structure of Evelyn chapters to Monique chapters (I just wish there was a more clear indication of the transition). Though obviously Evelyn was the star of the book.
This could be because I just finished the book though and I’m freshly in the feelings. Plus as someone who’s done journalism myself I always connect to journalist characters.
I absolutely love the way you break down Evelyn’s relationships and the different types of love.
mmmm I read this a year ago and I am due for a reread. in fact does anyone here have any recommendations for books that are similar in terms of queerness and period drama glamour and slightly trashy and gripping to read?
This was such a fantastic review! You used so much material from outside the book to analyze it better. Def more thorough than most of Booktok 🤗
I want a Harry/Evelyn type of love . His death and the daughters death I couldn’t handle . His was so unexpected I was screaming nooooooo the whole time . They were true besties / soulmates who made a child together and that’s rare and beautiful.
Happy Pride to you toooooo
Have you read the heartstopper comics?
Just finished this book my coworker gave me this book it was so awesome it's like reading jackie Collins books but not so raunchy but it was so dope
Your skin is so glowy what do you use? 😍
Do you have any recommendations for the books in which there are those greek kinds of loves
Like Greek gods?
I loved the way it was written.
Same
Ahhh I'm so glad you liked Evelyn Hugo! I love TJR's work so much, and Daisy Jones & the Six by her is probably one of my top three favorite books of all time. You should check out the author's newest book, Malibu Rising, which just released a few days ago :) Also, since you said you liked our recommendations lol, you might like The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake!! (another dark academia)
Malibu rising was really good too
Beautiful review❤
Monique's parts were really boring and seemed out of place. Especially the parts about David, I don't really know what it added to the story. I was confused as to why the author even included it. I feel like those parts were also kinda used to add those woke political statements which rly contradicted Evelyn's attitude towards those issues. But of course I thought once it all came together with the story of her dad I thought it added a lot to the book.
I also kinda didn't like Connor. Like not her character but the fact that Evelyn decided to have a baby. It didn't even seem like Celia was a part of her life? And I didn't really like the way Evelyn treated her growing up.
There were times when I hated Evelyn and times that I hated Celia, but I cried so much at the end of the book and now I don't know what to think.
Also, as a straight person reading this, I did not predict any of the characters' sexualities until it was stated plainly. But I thought it was really cool to learn about the bi/gay experience throughout the decades. I also didn't see the thing about Monique's dad coming at all. I guess I just didn't predict that Monique's family would ever cross paths with these Hollywood superstars.
I didn't cry for this book but definitely hurt my heart when Harry died.. idk why but Celia's death didn't effect me as much and idk I LOVED this book and all the characters but Celia wasn't the most favorite
i read shoeh (my own little acronym i made up lol) in 1 hour. and i still remember every little thing and I sobbed so hard omg my dad asked what was wrong.
I wasn’t too fond of Monique’s chapters either but I just think that they are supposed to emblematise how impactful Evelyn is and how she influences and enfranchises those around her
omg I agree with this review sooo much
i literally just finished it and it’s definitely become one of my favourite books EVER
ok this is totally unrelated to the video but you should check out elizabeth von arrnim,,,i feel like she has a similar kind of humor to mitford
I absolutely loved this book review. You very much put my thoughts into words here. Exactly what I needed after finishing this book yesterday.
I agree with a lot of your points (for example Moniques character and the bad writing in her chapters - I almost felt like Evelyn's parts were written by a different Author than Monique's).
The depth with which you explained how you see the story and the way you graphically showed the different kinds of love represented in this book were absolutely spot on.
Evelyn's relationspips were so complicated and yet you managed to narrow each one of them down to what they esentially were without ignoring their complexity.
Also totally loved the representation of bisexuality in his book, as I myself identify as bi. I am still 16 have yet to fully understand that part of me, and what you said about that "it is not beeing 50/50 anything, or 60/40 anything, or 70/30 anything but rather 100% a whole identity in and of itself", that actaully really helped.
Also, its really pleasant to listen to you, you have a great voice and the way you talk is just very enjoyable.
Franky, this is one of the best book reviews i've ever watched and it is greatly appreciated.
Ps.: I subscribed to your channel and look forward to more videos like this one xx
I thought this book was terrible. Sickly sweet corny writing, predictable stupid twist, terrible unfeasible ending and dont even get me started on the tokenism of mixed-race people and the lack of any meaningful exploration of evelyn's cuban background. I could 100% tell it was written by a straight white woman with little understanding of the nuances of being non-white or in a gay relationship in the time period she was writing about. the constant explanations of bisexuality were so cringey and forced. the relationship with celia was also unconvincing to me, mainly because celia's character lacked depth (so did nearly every character who wasn't evelyn tbh), and it seemed like every time celia and evelyn interacted in the book was to fight. it was definitely a quick easy read and i can imagine it being a fun trashy movie but it totally does not deserve the ratings it has.
(Apart from Harry, I liked him! also Moniques dad was in the car because he was having an affair with Harry lol I thought that was clear!!)
Oh thank god someone else thought this book was terrible. I felt so alone! I've now read three of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books and can attest that the writing is the same no matter the subject. I found every book to be cringey and shallow. I have officially broken up with her books. Never again will I be sucked in by the hype.
I love harry cameron on this book....its really worth
There are so many great insights put here! Thank you for your effort and time! I love it when readers also point out the flaws of a seemingly perfect book, and your review is the first I've seen to do this with this book! It doesn't hurt that your voice is very soothing so the 30-minute watch is worth it hahaha. Just sounded like your voice is muffled on some parts and had to concentrate extra hard for me to listen. I hope to see more book reviews from you! --- from a sandwich millennial & gen z skksksskskksksksksk
I am an evelyn stan…I feel like Celia is one too lmao.
I barely read books but I wanted a lesbian like book and woooooo yes. I am obsessed and I want MORE of evelyn and Celia 💜👩🏽❤️💋👩🏼
I just started reading this like 45 minutes ago! Not gonna watch this video now because it has spoilers haha! I also bought Les Liaisons Dangereuses because of you! I’m extremely excited to read it! :)
Hello fellow dyslexic Emma 🤣. Major major spoiler alert be careful if you read this.
Monique‘s dad was in the car with Harry because he was Harry’s lover and teaching Harry to love again.
Watch carrington, I found it free on yt. And it’s trueee
I’m not even halfway through the book but I’m a lil bored so thanks for the video
what’s the age rating for this?
uhhh I don’t think books have age rating
off topic but you are literally so stunning
so true
And please please listen to Daisy Jones and the six audiobook , it's amazing 😍
Harry Cameron and Monique's father, James, were partners!
I didn't find Monique to be "girl boss" i just didn't care for her life story.
I'm super late but I'm finally here lol
I think you will LOVE Daisy Jones & The Six by the same author.
I liked it a lot but it could be a great book if it wasnt for the writing
25:03
I honestly really like the writing! I didn’t like Monique’s character, though. So bland
you look like how I imagine Celia to look like😍😍
Ok creep
@r.m5883 how is that creepy?
I love spoilers
Heyy lisa